April 28, 2017

It was a Dark and Stormy Night

Due to severe weather delays, we were overstaffed at work this morning. As a result, I got off way early and about 5:30, as I was driving home, a lightning bolt struck next to me and showered my van in burning tree parts.

After a moment, I noted that the stricken tree next was next to a neighbors house and was burning with alarming intensity despite the downpour. I got out to see if it could be put out or to help the people get out as this was looking pretty grim.

The owner of the house and I tried to put out the fire but neither the rain nor our bucket brigade was having any effect. After an embarrassingly long interval, I had a neuron fire and realized that the tree wasn't burning, the ground was. I advised the gentleman to call the fire department NOW because it could be a peat fire and that could be the end of the whole block.

But wait...It was quite intense for peat. The ground around it was undulating and hissing...and it kept getting more intense until it was almost like...a blowtorch.

Oh. Lord. The lightning struck a gas main!

We kept the bucket brigade on it to keep it from igniting the tree or the house until the police arrived and decided to let it burn off the gas until the firetruck arrived, at which point I moved my van to make room for the ladder truck and carried my bedraggled ass home.

Looking at the rain, I really don't think I'm going to get the grass today.